Various types of exercise machines for strengthening and conditioning the body are known. One type of exercise machine is a combination leg press and calf raise machine. On prior leg press and calf raise exercise machines, the user sits on a common seat, grasps two handles, outwardly stretches their legs, and places their feet on a foot platform of a moveable foot platform assembly which is generally located in front of them a little higher than the seat. The back seat is typically adjustable to accommodate different flexibility levels. To perform leg presses, the user then presses their legs outward which will cause the foot platform to move away from the user. A resistance element is connected to the moveable foot platform assembly and provides resistance to the user. (Some leg press/calf machines are the opposite wherein the foot platform is stationary and the seat moves back and forth with resistance tied to it.) This will exercise the leg and glute muscles of the user. To perform calf raises, the user lowers their feet on the same foot platform and pivots their feet at their ankles which will cause the foot platform to move away from the user. Once again, the moving foot platform provides resistance to the user. This will exercise the user's calf muscles. This will also exercise the leg and glute muscles because the users legs are in an outwardly stretched position which help support the calf muscles while exercising. This is a drawback because the user is unable isolate their calf muscles during exercise. Also, the user must place stress on their hips and knees in order to exercise their calf muscles. Thus there is a need for a combination leg press and calf raise exercise machine wherein the user could isolate their calf muscles during exercise and not place stress on their hips and knees. Also, it would be cost effective if the user could sit in the same seat while performing leg presses and isolated calf raises.
Another type of exercise machine is a pressing machine wherein the user will sit in a seat and press two exercise arms forward to exercise the chest and tricep muscles. It would be costly and require much more room to house a separate machine for performing pressing movements and a separate machine for performing leg presses and calf raises. It would be desirable to have one exercise machine that would allow a user to perform leg presses, isolated calf raises, and pressing exercises on one combination exercise machine. It would also be cost effective if the hand gripping portion on the two exercise arms could also be used as the gripping handles during leg press exercises. Also, it would be cost effective if the same seat was used for all the exercises.
Another type of exercise machine is a forearm exercising machine. One type of prior forearm exercise machine is wherein a bar is pivotally mounted on a free standing frame for a user to grasp and rotate. This bar is connected with a cable or cord to the resistance element, usually a weight stack. To exercise the forearms, the user will grasp the bar and roll their wrist forward or backward which will in turn wrap the cable or cord around the bar. The cable or cord will in turn raise the weight stack and give the user resistance. This effectively isolates and exercises the forearms, however a free standing forearm exercise machine takes up a lot of room to house and is also costly to purchase.
There is a cost effective and space efficient exercise device for exercising the forearms. It is a wrist roller which is basically a bar with a cord or rope attached in the center. On the other end of the cord or rope, the user will attach the desired amount of resistance by connecting free weights on this end. To exercise, the user will grasp the bar on the outer ends and extend their arms forward as the weights dangle below. As the user rolls their wrist forward or backward, the rope or cord wraps around the bar and lifts the weight. This does not effectively isolate the forearm muscles because the user is forced to extend their arms outward and maintain the free weights in the air as well as roll their wrist. This recruits the upper arm and shoulder muscles into the exercise. The users shoulders could fatigue before their forearms do. Thus it, would be desirable to perform isolated forearm exercises wherein the rotating bar was attached to a combination exercise machine.
Combination exercise machines are cost efficient to manufacture and space efficient because numerous stations can share the same framework and the same resistance load. Thus, there is a need for a combination exercise machine that will allow a user to perform leg presses, isolated calf exercises, pressing movements, and forearm exercises.